26 May 2010

A beautiful, quiet cemetery surrounded by busy city life, Melaten is located on Aachener Strasse in Cologne, Germany. I can't remember the first time I found this place but since then I have been back many times. On my last visit I finally found some very interesting information. The location was originally used during the Middle Ages for witch burnings and executions, including the hanging of a church robber in 1797. There was also a leprosarium for lepers on the grounds, which is where the cemetery gets it's name; Malade is french for ill. The building was closed in 1767 when leprosy was mainly wiped out in Europe. In 1804 Napolean ordered that Cologne citizens only bury their dead outside the municipality, which is when it was decided to use Melaten as a cemetery.

23 May 2010

Burton was an explorer and is buried with his wife Isabel, in a monument in the shape of an Arab tent in Mortlake cemetery London. He was a fearless traveller leading expeditions including a search for the source of the Nile. He explored not only countries but also cultures and religions, learnt more than 20 languages and dialects, and was captivated by the lure of the East. Burton was not a Catholic, but his wife was a devout. When her husband died in 1890, Lady Burton insisted on a Catholic burial. Public subscription raised the bulk of the £460 needed to build the tomb. The interior was furnished and decorated at a cost estimated at a further £1,000, including both Christian and Islamic symbols, reflecting areas of Burton’s special interest. I wandered around the back to see if the curtain detail continued there and discovered a ladder to a glass window on the roof of the tomb. Despite my fear of heights I climbed up and took some interior shots, both coffins were clearly visible. The tent–like structure is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and looks almost out of place in the tiny churchyard.

22 May 2010

In the autumn of 1908 Winston Churchill, then a rising Liberal politician, married Clementine Hozier, granddaughter of the 10th Earl of Airlie. Their marriage was to prove a long and happy one Winston and Clementine's first child, Diana, was born in 1909. The Churchill’s' second child and only son, Randolph, was born in 1911. He was exceptionally handsome and his father was very ambitious for him. In 1918 Clementine Churchill gave birth to a third child, a daughter named Marigold.

In 1921, shortly after the deaths of both Clementine's brother and Winston's mother, Marigold contracted septicaemia whilst on a seaside holiday with the children’s' governess. She is buried in this simple grave in a quiet corner of Kensal Green cemetery, London. Their fourth Child Sarah was born in 1914 and in September 1921 Churchill’s' fifth and last child, Mary, was born.

The first time I found the grave of Marigold it was by accident. It was not included in any of the cemetery tours and there is little information about it. I was taking a photo of something else and in trying to capture it all in the viewfinder I stumbled backwards. I felt like there was someone behind me and turned around and stared - there she was. I read it, re-read it, took a couple of shots and afterwards had a quite word with someone in the know who confirmed that this was indeed Churchill’s daughter.

I always wondered why Marigold was not buried with the rest of the Churchill’s, it seems so sad that she's there alone. Maybe as she was only three years old they assumed other family would also be buried in the plot. The cemetery at the time had many Royal and notable people interred there so they obviously thought it was ‘the’ place to be.

17 May 2010

Jean Carries, Pere Lachaise. A very unusual monument depicting the sculptor and a miniature. Carries was placed in an orphanage age 6 and began working in a sculptor’s studio creating religious images by the age of 13. He was given probationary status the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1874, but failed to pass the admittance test because of poor attendance. However, Carries first exhibited at the Salon a year later and his sculpture was very well received. He worked mostly in bronze and produced historical representations and portraits. Carries moved to the Loire Valley in 1889 and devoted himself to ceramics.

14 May 2010

I don't normally plug books here. I leave that to the authors themselves but I've been talking to Daryl "Darko" on Facebook for quite some time and have actually gotten to know him personally. It's not something you get to do with a lot of authors. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to see how a person I feel like I know writes a book, creates a character and tells a story. Daryl offered to meet in person once the book was printed and sign a copy for me so I jumped at the chance. Through Facebook I had the opportunity to watch videos and things he posted of himself doing things like model shoots and walking cemeteries with his mother. What I saw in Daryl was what I like to refer to as eyes of wonder. It's something you see in a lot of artists or photographers. Like he saw something differently than everyone else did. I don't know how to explain it but it's one of those things you'd probably do if you saw a rainbow or something, stare at it in wonder. Daryl is one of these people. I still don't completely know him but the way he saw the world and people was interesting to me. Actually through Facebook I've had the opportunity to meet a number of people that are able to see the world like nobody else. One of them is an author here on the blog as well, Jeane. I feel like if everyone could see the world the way we do that it would be a much better place, a place of appreciation if you will, the ability to find beauty in anything and anyone.

So Daryl and I met for coffee for an hour or two and talked cemeteries and every day life etc. After we were done I immediately went home and read half the book. I found myself trying to figure out if it was an autobiography or fiction. It seemed to me that so much of Daryl had been poured into the character yet it still maintained some fiction. I ended up finishing about a week later due to work obligations. I won't give anything away but I can say that I came away with an understanding of both Daryl and the subjects he brings up. What stuck with me most was his take on religion which is always a subject of interest for me. If you'd like to pick up a copy of this book you can do so here http://www.blurb.com/books/1258853 . It's also full of great pictures of cemeteries. One of these days when I'm able to focus enough time on it I may do something along these lines as well...

06 May 2010

In Passy Cemetery Paris I discovered this rather ornate monument complete with figure climbing in (or out!) There was a small vent in the brickwork so I poked my camera inside and discovered a wonderful and incredibly lifelike statue of its occupant. I dubbed her the ‘Princess’ as she almost looks like she is lying in state.

03 May 2010

This is the grave of Henry Mumford Taylor and Annie Gilmore buried at Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery in Santa Rosa, CA. The tree was literally beginning to consume the stone. I am no botanist so there is no way to tell the age of the tree. Henry Mumford Taylor was born on 3 May 1831 in Pittsylvania, VA. He died on 6 Feb 1902 in Occidental, CA. He married Annie Florence Gillmore on 28 Oct 1872 in San Francisco, CA. His wife Annie Florence Gillmore was born on 4 Aug 1844 in England. She died on 18 Dec 1913 in Santa Rosa, CA. This is the only information I could find on the two. It makes me wonder how long before the stone is entirely consumed.

Santa Rosa Rural was a beautiful cemetery full of huge oak trees. It was the rainy season and I was doing some scouting for a friend that likes to shoot models in cemeteries. My assignment was to scope it out due to the recent rains and see if it would be too muddy for a model to walk around there all day. Sadly it was too muddy for the model but it wasn't too muddy for me. I stayed there for a couple hours wandering from place to place as I always do. When I finally finished I noticed they had a map at the entrance to the cemetery. Like a kid in a candy store I walked right by it. On the map they had markers placed signifying important grave sites within the cemetery. I started my tour all over again and ended up spending another hour or so there taking the walking tour. It was a great cemetery. They even had a work party that meets once a month to clean up garbage that people left behind and do some straightening. They allow people to show up and help out so maybe I'll be heading back on clean up day. The good thing is the people cleaning up around the cemetery seem to allow the cemetery itself to naturally age. I really liked that about this work party.

This was another great tree that could be found there. Where most cemeteries would have simply chopped it down, this one did something to support it so it could continue to live. I'm a big fan of trees and I commend the cemetery for allowing this beautiful tree to just be. Of course it's now receiving a little help but still beautiful.

This is an example of the wonderful trees and foliage that could be found here as well. I'll be going back real soon...

02 May 2010

I always laugh when I see this cross which is now adorning the cover of my latest book; it’s from the City of London cemetery and states ‘Well Done’.

Silent Cities Volume Seven is now available. Journeying through the architecture of eternity via the eyes and lens of memorial photographer Jeane Trend-Hill. Containing over 150 images of unique monuments including angels, crosses, animals and shrouded figures.

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About this blog

I created this blog to show people that cemeteries are wonderful places full of history, architecture and sometimes an occasional ghost story. I hope everyone enjoys what this blog has to offer whether you're an amateur explorer, history buff or just somebody willing to learn about these beautiful places...If you would like to become a contributor to this blog by writing a story or sharing some pictures please leave a comment on any post.

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